Enhancement of the technology of mining steep ore bodies applying the “floating” crown

When mining ore bodies in Kryvyi Rih iron ore basin, underground mines apply open stoping or bulk caving systems in proportion of 55% to 45%. Most of underground mines prefer stoping with pillar caving. Yet, rock pressure contributes to growth of costs for workings maintenance and deterioration of extraction indices. Rock mass extraction indices can be enhanced by application of a protectve structure in the upper part of the block that will enable additional decrease in load on the draw level. There are a great many of methods for determining parameters of constructive elements of the protective structure that help keep its integrity for the whole period of block mining. The article suggests methods for determining parameters of the protective structure when mining steep ore bodies. The research conducted demonstrates that with the inclined protective structure, increase of unit load on it from 200 to 1200t/m2 leads to decrease of its thickness from 6.3-20.9m to 5.5-18.4m and increase of the crown length from 40m to 60m. The developed block caving system with application of the protective structure when mining steep ore bodies enables overall decrease of ore dilution in the block by 3%, increase of iron content in the mined ore by 1.3% without significant mining costs growth and decrease of loads on the workings of the receiving level